When did you first get your child's sight tested??

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

Oh and go to the dentist??

My son was born with a haema-angioma over his left eye, and we were advised to have his sight checked; if you are concerned about eye health/sight then first contact is your health visitor and then GP (consultant if a referral is necessary). The tests are very clever, my son was asked to pick up multi coloured vermicelli, and the such like, and also identify cartoon characters (not read War and Peace!!). He is now 7 and because eye tests are free has now had 2 formal ones at a high street optician.

dentist really early - can't remember exactly - maybe about 1 ish

eyesight - i did ask the doctor to have a look becuase dh wears glasses of a strong prescription.

i think i took it seriously when they were about to start school

anyway non of them needed specs

but one was partially deaf. and she then was told she would benefit from wearing glasses

she got some ( sh was aged 14) suddenly became not partially deaf ( long story) and then won't wear her glasses

i might have a word with her before she goes to college - she looks v. studious with them on!

Dd1 (yr1) has just had an eye test and now needs glasses as she is longsighted and has astigmatism in both eyes. She failed the pre-school eye test with HV twice (only just!) and she said to wait a year and then take her.

Boys went when they were about 6 & 8 - only took them as six year old was complaining of headaches. They were fine. Taken them yearly since then.

Dentist - been since they were about 4. No problems with teeth and dentist wouldn't see them before then.

DD went for her first eye test at 4mths, and will go again at 9mths. DH has awful eyesight and I wear specs too, so it was thought to be a good idea. Mostly the test just involved checking she could follow a little toy bee on the end of a pencil and some things that looked like ping pong bats. No letter reading at this stage!

DDs 1 and 2 (5.5 and 3.5 yo) had their first eye-tests at 2.5yo, as I have congentially poor eyesight and astigmatism. They are given a card with letters on it, then the optician held up single letters and the child had to point to the matching letter on their card. Both DDs managed this fine at that age (though DD2 kept trying to brush away the card I was holding at the optician's request covering one of her eyes ). Fortunately, neither has my eye problems but they are still tested on a yearly basis.

Dentist, they came with DH and I from the beginning. Our dentist has looked into their mouths from 6 months, though not a full examination, IYSWIM. DD3 (13 months) happily opened her mouth for the dentist the other week, and DDs 1 and 2 scramble to see who can get into the chair first.

*congenitally

Dentist - Both DDs since they were each about 6 months old. I used to take them with me and I asked the dentist to just feel inside their mouths to get them used to him. Sad to say it didn't work very well 'cos DD1 (15yo) really doesn't like going to the dentist all - they both go every 6 months with me though, and I'm pleased to say that neither DD has ever had to have any remidial work for decay - only orthodontic work).

Opticians - since they were about 3. History of quite bad short sightedness in my family (I've had laser surgery after nearly 30 years of wearing specs). They had their test by looking at shapes rather then letters.

I'm glad I did this as both of them were found to need glasses at 11yo (as was I)and have 6 monthly checks. The optician told me that they often see children who are -3 dioptres before they are taken for a check up - god knows how they manage .

you can get your kids eyes tested from about the age of 3. the optician can get a good idea of the prescription from looking at the back of the eye, they dont need to know letters etc. they also usually have shapes for littlies. also worth getting them tested for colour blindness fairly early on too - its part of the routine in their first eye tests.

if you have any concerns before the age of 3 then go through a gp to get a referral to the hospital eye clinic.

I think it's recommended to take children to the dentist from when their 1st tooth appears. They don't really do much, it's more about getting them used to going. So all my dcs have been going since babyhood.

I haven't taken them to the opticians though. Their eyes were tested at birth, ath all their baby check ups and then at school when 4-5 yo. They've always been OK. I think I'll take them when I notice something isn't right.

Tehy do test childrens eyes in reception, but it could be the end of reception.

I was going to take DS1 before he started school.

Then he learned to wink, and said "Mummy I can see you when I close this eye, but I cant' see you when I close this eye."

My other DCs were tested when they were much younger (during hostpital visits for DS1)

I would say go at around 2 if you think every thing is fine.

It's free.

both had an eye test around age 3, had a letter from the eye clinic and took them along, had to do some practicing first so they recognised the shapes/letters etc

both had fine vision

DS went to proper optician when he was in year 2 , as it was suggested by his teacher, he did need glasses with a v mild correction

both have been going to the dentist since they got their first tooth, all the first few visits were was just sitting in the chair, and getting a sticker from the dentist

First milk teeth I was told by my dentist. Just to get them used to lying on a dentist's chair and someone peering into their mouth, because that can all be very scary for los.

well, mine were 4&5m. I just took them with me whenever I went and I think they were about 18m-2 ish when she 1st looked into their mouths to count their teeth (I don't think they do more than that at 1st)